Sports ramblings…with a Yankees bias!

Results tagged ‘ Boston Marathon ’

That’s the one word which comes to mind when I think of the Yankees’ team play so far in the still very young 2013 season.

Sure, the Yanks have lost a few games they should have won but a week into May and the Yanks stand at 18-12. They are just a game and a half behind AL East Leader Boston entering tonight’s play. Maybe the bigger surprise is that the pitching-rich Tampa Bay Rays at 14-16 and “everbody’s pre-season favorite”, the Toronto Blue Jays, are 11-21. I fully expect changes in the AL East standings as the season progresses but given the hand the Yankees were dealt, they’ve fared much better than expected.

I should be happy that Alex Rodriguez has started his rehab in Tampa, which has included some light hitting. But of all the injured players, A-Rod is the one that I am not looking forward to returning. I was hopeful that Kevin Youkilis would have a ‘comeback player of the year’ type of season but it was not meant to be as Youk found his usual spot on the DL. His injury prompted the Yankees to acquire Colorado Rockies third baseman Chris Nelson to back up former Rockie Jayson Nix. I honestly cannot say which player I’d prefer at third as neither excites me but I’d still rather see them play than A-Rod.

I assume Curtis Granderson will be the first of the injured to return. I don’t think anyone expects him to slide back into centerfield but his presence will create challenges for Manager Joe Girardi to find at-bats for Vernon Wells, Brett Gardner, and Ichiro Suzuki. There’s no way that Travis Hafner is giving up DH with his play. I feel bad for Brennan Boesch as I like having him on the team.

Mark Teixeira should be back in the not-so-distant futre. Lyle Overbay is certainly not the player Tex is but Overbay has given the Yanks some early clutch hits that Tex, a notorious slow starter, never could have.

With Derek Jeter out until after the All-Star Break, and Eduardo Nunez proving to be no more capable than a spare, the Yanks do need to bring in a veteran shortstop to plug the hole until DJ is ready to return.

Since it is apparent that Austin Romine is only in New York to “watch”, I’ll be glad when Francisco Cervelli is able to come back and take starts aways from the offensively-challenged Chris Stewart.

I am worried about CC Sabathia’s drop in velocity, like everyone else, and Andy Pettitte’s recent struggles. There are no great starters waiting the wings. But in the pen, I was pleased with the 3-up, 3-down debut inning by Preston Claiborne. In his first major league appearance, he pitched two shutout innings in Sunday’s loss to the Oakland A’s. He certainly did his part to ensure the Yanks were in the position to win the game in the bottom of the 9th. It was not to be, but through no fault of Preston’s.

How do you teach Greatness?…

I remember when I first heard that Mariano Rivera would be 43 at the end of his current deal. I was worried that he’d be unable to sustain his level of superiority. But, man, was I ever so wrong! Rivera has long been my favorite active Yankee but time catches up with all…or does it? Mo continues to astound at his age and has proven that if he wanted to continue to play beyond this season, millions (dollars and fans) would be waiting for him. A true legend in our lifetime…

A very good day in April…

I was very skeptical when former Miami Dolphins GM Rick Spielman took over as the GM for the Minnesota Vikings, but draft after draft, he has proven to be very astute. Going into the 2013 NFL Draft, I had hoped for a play-making wide receiver in the first round. When the Vikings first selection came up at #23, they had no choice but to take DT Sharrif Floyd. Floyd had been a top 5 pick in many mock drafts and it was a position of need. At #25, I was hoping for either the play-making wide receiver or a hard-hitting middle linebacker. The Vikings went with Xavier Rhodes, a cornerback, and it was hard to argue the selection given his height and talent to play with the division’s big receivers. I felt that the Vikes had missed the opportunity to get a legitimate #2 receiver to go with free agent signee Greg Jennings, but then it was announced that the Vikings had thrown a plethora of picks at the New England Patriots to get the #28 spot which they finally used to grab the play-making wide receiver (Cordarrelle Patterson). In my years in Dallas, I always remember former head coach of the Cowboys, Jimmy Johnson, talk about “playmakers”. In the 2013 Draft, Rick Spielman nailed three in the first round.

I’ve always liked Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, but I knew his days were numbered when the Vikings burned a pick on a punter. The NFL can be a cold, hard business and it is always evitable that someone will lose their job to a younger, cheaper talent. I cannot find fault in the Vikings decision to part ways with Kluwe but I thank him for his time in Minnesota. He is a good punter and he won’t be unemployed for long. Now, if new punter Jeff Locke can have a rookie season like kicker Blair Walsh did last year…

With Matt Cassel now on the roster as the backup QB, the pressure will be squarely on Christian Ponder’s shoulders. Even if Cassel’s time in KC was less than stellar, I am sure the coaching staff won’t hesitate to pull Ponder if he continues to regress. I liked the Vikings free agent signing of former Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg. His senior season was a disappointment, but he was a big-time talent during his junior year. I am hopeful that he can excel in his opportunities in front of Head Coach Leslie Frazier and his staff.

My heart goes out to Boston…

I have posted on this blog since prior to the Boston Marathon so I am late to the party to add my comments. However, my heart goes out to all those who were impacted directly or indirectly by the tragic deeds of heartless terrorists. I will never understand what drove Tamerlan Tsarnaev to his horrific actions or why he chose to ruin his brother’s life in convincing him to participate. Running in the Boston Marathon has long been a personal goal and it will not dissuade me achieving that goal one day. I have many friends in Boston and the heart of the city is incredibly tough and resilient. You don’t have to love the Red Sox to love Boston. Boston, in my opinion, is the premier city in America. They will persevere and they’ll never let anyone take their city. Boston Strong, to the end…

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